Your Brain on Porn: Addiction and Withdrawal

From Daily Cloudt - Sept 7: 2012

By Marnia Robinson

The highspeed porn lotus is giving many of its consumers severe indigestion in the form of symptoms never before seen in erotica fans: loss of attraction to real potential mates, unaccustomed social anxiety and concentration problems, morphing sexual tastes, decreased sexual pleasure and sexual performance failures. It seems that some brains are so sensitive to highspeed's constant barrage of novel stimulation TEDx "The Great Porn Experiment" that it throws the delicate reward circuitry out of balance—with unexpected effects on sexual responsiveness, mood, erections and mental clarity.

Thousands of today's lotus eaters have therefore decided they prefer people to pixels. They're leaving Internet porn behind in droves—braving both excruciating withdrawal symptoms WITHDRAWAL  and the derision of those who are still gladly dining on lotus.

These revolutionaries are largely guys because males got the jump on females in the overconsumption of highspeed porn, and are therefore slamming into the wall first. However, women are increasingly reporting decreased sexual responsiveness and other symptoms from supernormal stimulation too.

Why is this masculine revolution Big News for women? Because the results are beyond encouraging. They're awesome. Visit some of the many forums where guys are recounting their struggles. Amazing. Princes formerly posing as amphibians are impressing themselves—and the women in their lives—with their charisma, desire for connection, assurance and sexual prowess.

Some guys are experiencing their inner Superman for the first time ever, because they have been submerged in Internet porn since before puberty. Depression, anxiety, doubts about their sexual orientation, terminal shyness, weak erections and many other symptoms had become "normal" for them. As one said, "I just feel so alive. Energetic, confident, creative. I feel like I was unplugged from the Matrix or something. It feels awesome."

Here are examples of the most common benefits guys report:

Safer sex, better sexual performance
 
A couple months into the reboot I noticed my confidence level was soaring and anxiety was minimal (long history with anxiety). I've recently been seeing a girl and normally I'd be worried about having sex and having problems putting condoms on or rushing to insert so I wouldn't lose it.  Last weekend all she had to do was go near my dick and it would respond to her touch.  Sure enough, no condom issues, no anxiety and had good sex. 

Increased desire for intimacy
 
(Day 50) I'm having strong boners all the time just thinking about the idea of sex ...or kissing! Awesome!! I last longer. Even after orgasm I can just swap the condom and go on again. I met a girl, kissed her, had sex with her and am planning a stable relationship with her .. and that's because of my newfound confidence! I'm 100% sure of this. 

Mental clarity
 
(Day 140) My introspection and clarity of thought are more profound than they have been in years. I feel completely awake for the first time in a very long time. I am more dedicated to my girlfriend, more sexually adventurous, and more emotionally aware.

Shifts in sexual tastes/perception

First guy: After quitting porn, I'm finding that I really don't want to do any of the depraved things I've seen in porno movies to actual women. Really, I just want to have someone to talk to, hold their hand, and cuddle with. I mean, yah I wanna get laid too, but that isn't so much the focus in my mind anymore.

Second guy: I know what you mean.  I have pretty much totally abandoned my old fetish driven ways of looking at woman, and it only took a little more than 30 days without PMO to get there.  I'm not saying that I don't still look at women. I'm just very content with my spouse and am no longer distracted by my former fetishes.

Mood disorder improvements
 
I was a porn addicted junkie. A sad pathetic loser. I was destroying my enjoyment of everything in life. Now, at Day 65, 1) ED IS CURED - My erections are regular, firm, and easy to get. 2) PORN ADDICTION IS CURED - I have no interest in porn. 3) DEPRESSION CURED - I have not felt this happy in years. 4) LIFESTYLE CHANGE - I am once again in control of my life. 5) And lately I EVEN STARTED DATING AGAIN!

Incidentally ladies, don't be afraid of competition with pixels. As one guy explained, "The notion that the women on screen are so perfect and regular real women can't compete is false. The problem is, porn is far easier to get than a real woman and [after too much]the brain is no longer set up to function well with normal, external intimacy." 

Want to speed up the revolution? Guys benefit a lot from encouraging, anonymous cyberpals as they reconnect with the human race. If you have some social media time and you want to cheer them on, or get some advice on your own habits, check out one of their forums. Healthier, happier men renew everyone's optimism about the dating game.

:: photo courtesy of Dierk Schaefer, via Creative Commons license ::

Comment: Religious truth can be best defined as life, the addict is formed from the theodicy, or "god + right," mental formation, so theomorphism must be understood not as therapy, or theory, but as Theravada as it sounds as a form of theomorphic recognition; the combination of the elder state as that which brings the living being with a formal doctrine that is a construct for the wavelength created. The snake is hiding in the wave itself and is called the Hydra.